Silver Lining
by Hordak's Pupil
Summary: Sequel to Starlight. It's Christmas Day and Danny decides to visit a new friend, but find something awful has happeneed souring his attitude towards Christmas. Can he rediscover the true meaning of Christmas again. Oneshot. Please R


**Danny Phantom: ****Silver Lining**

**By Hordak's Pupil**

**Disclamer****: I do not own Danny Phantom as always he belongs to ****Nickelodeon and Billionfold, ****inc**

**Author's Notes: I have Christmas Fever so I present**** to you**** the sequel to **_**Starlight**_

**Danny**

"Okay Jazz, here is your gift," I said handing a large box with a smile.

"Thank you Danny," she says as takes and opens, "A NEW LAPTOP! Thank you Danny," she squeals with delights as she hugs me.

"You're welcome Jazz," I tell her with a faint smile as I opened the gift she gave me, "Thank you," I tell her as I find a new board game under the paper.

"Anytime," she said as ruffled my air and smiled. "You seem in a better mood, did the Christmas Ghosts get to you Ebenezer Fenton," she joked as she turned on the TV to watch the Christmas Parade.

"No, but something did," I tell her thinking of little Anya who although lived in poverty, loved Christmas more than anything. She taught me what Christmas was truly about and opened my heart to this beautiful time of year.

I wish I could do something for her, but what, then I thought of it, "Mom, dad, could I invite a friend over for Christmas Dinner," I ask my parents hopefully.

"Why sure Danny, but I thought Sam and Tucker went out of town for the Holidays," mom says curiously.

"This is a new friend," I tell her plainly.

Dad's face lit up at those words, "A new friend? Someone new to blab on about ghosts to?" he asked excitedly holding the ecto-fudge maker mom got him for Christmas.

"No ghosts, I want this to be a normal Christmas Dinner. No ghosts, no jumpsuits, just a normal dinner," I tell him sternly.

"You're no fun," dad said as he started to mope.

"You know dad, Santa will take away your gifts if you continue to act like that," Jazz said smiling as dad started to cheer up to avoid to losing his presents.

"Jazz, you think you could drive me to where my friend lives," I ask her as I clean up the mess of wrapping paper on the floor.

"Sure Danny, just let me get dressed," she said as she went to her room to get ready.

**Clockwork**

Ah, Christmas, if there is one thing that makes the old ghost smile it's this joyous season.

I love watching the children so excited to see what Santa had left them (yes, he is real and is a personal friend of mine. I knew him back when he was Nicholas of a Myra, a kindly bishop. I help him out on his sleigh ride by stopping time so he can make it around the world in one night) and seeing everyone act as they should towards their fellow men.

However, this Christmas was different. Last night, I had met little Anya. I had watched over her for some time and helped her and her father out many times (I have kept this secret from the Observants). They think of me as a kindly angel who helps them by night (and now as Danny's guardian angel).

I smiled as I watched Danny get ready to invite her and her father for Christmas dinner, but sometimes fate deals us a hard blow as he will soon learn.

**Danny**

"Right here, Jazz," I say as she pulls the over to the curve and parks the car.

"Are you sure Danny, there's no house here," she says as I get out of the car and walk to where Anya and her father live.

"Hello, Dr. Roberts," I say as I walk in the alley and see him kneeling down as if in prayer, "Dr. Roberts are you okay, it's me Danny Fenton," I tell him as I walk up to him.

"Ah, Danny it's nice to see you again, what brings you here?" he asked, his eyes were bloodshot as if from crying and a bad feeling wells up in my stomach, fearing something bad had happened.

"What's wrong, where's Anya?" I ask him worriedly as I notice she is not with him.

The doctor got up and placed his hand on my shoulder, "I'm afraid Anya died," he said solemnly.

"What?" I ask in a state of shock, how could she be dead. I felt my knees gave way and braced myself on the wall.

"She died before sunrise today, she had been ill for some time but I couldn't afford the treatment. She's in a better place now," he says as tears pour down his face.

"I…was…going…to…invite…both of you….over…for…my…place…for…dinner," I manage to get out before tears pour out of my eyes as well. I didn't understand I just met her and yet I feel I lost someone I've known for years.

"Thank you, but no, I would like to be alone to mourn," he said as he knelt down to pray but not before turning back to me, "do you have a way back home," he asks me concerned of how I would get back to my place.

"Yes, my sister drove me here. Merry Christmas," I say as I race back to the car tears racing down my face and freezing on my cheeks.

How could something so sad happen at this time of year, how, it made no sense even for someone who's a Halfa.

**Clockwork**

Death, it is cruelest of forces, yet it is never the end but the beginning. Mortals cannot see this as they cannot perceive what is beyond the veil of the temporal realm.

My heart ached for Anya's father and Danny as they tried to come to terms with what happened, but I could stand idle as I had a guest coming and from the sound of it, she was here.

I floated down to the entrance of my lair and smiled as I opened the door, "Greetings Anya," I say to the small spirit at my doorstep.

"I know you, you're Danny's guardian angel," she says excited to see me but I could see that she was scared. "Where I am," she asks as I escort her into my home.

"You are in my home. You passed away Anya and God has allowed you to come here before you go off to Heaven to share Christmas Dinner with me," I explain to her as I feel myself age into an old man.

She stared at me as tears rolled down her face as she realized what had happened.

I put my arm around her gently, "do not worry Anya, you will be with your mother," I tell her as I feel my own heart breaking as I revert to a child. I feel her fear and loneliness but also her joy at seeing her mother.

"I never met her, she died when I was born," she says as she dries her tears and looks up to me curious at how I know that she will see her mother.

"In addition to be Danny's guardian angel, I am also the angel of time. It is my job to watch over it," I explain to her with a smile.

"Do you have a name Angel, papa said all angels have names and why do you change from a little boy, to a grown up, to an old man," she asked me with curiousity only a child could possess.

"Indeed I do, I am called Clockwork," I tell her warmly, "I change forms because I am ageless and live through all cycles of life as guardian of time," I explain to her. "Come, it is soon time to eat," I tell her as I show her to the dining area.

**Danny**

"Danny, are you okay," Jazz asks as I enter the car and see that I've been crying.

"Just take me home," I tell her coldly not wanting to talk about it. I didn't want to accept the fact that Anya was dead, she couldn't be. Yet, she was and with her my love for Christmas. I didn't want it to be Christmas and wanted this stupid holiday to go away along with everyone else.

When I got home, I raced up to my room not saying a word and slammed the door shut. I cried into my pillow, refusing to believe that such a sweet a little girl was gone.

I don't know how long I laid there until I heard a knock on the door, "Go away!" I shouted in between my tears. I didn't want to talk to anyone and just wanted to be alone in my room.

"Danny it's me, your mom," I hear mom says as she opens the door and sees me crying. I can feel her heart break as she sees me so broken and sad. "What's wrong, honey," she asks as she comes in and sits beside me on the bed.

"I don't want to talk about it," I snap as I push her away, but she draws me back to her and places my head on her shoulder.

"Are you sure, Danny," she says stroking my hair to comfort me, "it will make you feel better," she tells me with a smile.

I feel my barrier start to break and the fortress I put around my heart be breeched as her violet eyes stared into my blue ones. I sighed, "The friend I was going to invite over died," I finally say as a new wave of tears overcome me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry sweetie," she says realizing what happened, "It's never easy to lose a friend, especially a new one," she says rubbing my back and comforting me. "Do you want anything honey," she asks me.

"No, I just want to be left alone," I tell her as she respects my wishes, quietly leaves the room and shuts the door.

Once she is gone I stand up and fall to my knees on the floor. "Why, God, why did you take her along with my newfound love of Christmas," I pray not even lifting my head up. I start to cry until I finally exhaust myself and fall asleep on the floor.

**Clockwork**

"Thank you for dinner, Mr. Clockwork," Anya said finishing her dessert. I could tell she enjoyed it as she had not eaten so well in such a long time.

"I'm glad you liked it, now I have a special present for you," I tell her as I help out of her chair and take her to my mirror. "This is a special mirror, it allows you to see anyone no matter where they are or when they lived," I explain to her demonstrating it by calling up an imagine of the Nativity.

"Can I use it to see my daddy and my friend Danny," she asks me with a smile.

I nod, "just think about them and look into the mirror," I tell her as she closes her eyes and the image of her father mourning her passing is shown. "Open your eyes," I tell her as she does so.

"Can he hear me?" she asks me curiously.

"No, they can't, they are just images of the event," I tell her as she nods and places her hand on the mirror.

"Daddy, I want you know that I know you did everything you could to save me. I don't want you to be sad ever, I love you and will never forget you," she said as she shed a tear and turned to me again. "I want to see Danny now," she says as he closes her eyes and an image of Danny laying on the floor sleeping is shown.

My heart broke in two at seeing the boy so broken up like that. Even though he had known Anya for a short time, he held a special place in his heart for the girl who taught him about Christmas. Now that she was gone Christmas had vanished from his heart (Although that was false, it was just hiding. He needs only to look to those who love him to rediscover it).

She stared at the boy on the floor before speaking, "Hi, Danny it's me Anya. I want you to know that I am happy now and I'll get to see my mom, who died when I was born. I don't want you to give up on Christmas Danny, ever. It will always be in your heart just as I will always be in your heart. Merry Christmas Danny," she says as the image fades away.

"It is time for you go, Anya," I tell her as a bright light fills the room.

"What is that?" she asks scared at the sight before her. She holds on to me tight not wanting to go but she knew she had no choice.

"It's someone very special," I say as a figure of a woman emerges from the light.

"It's time to go home, Anya," the woman says as Anya looks and looks in disbelief.

"Is it…," she asks as I and the woman both nod warmly. She leaves my side and races over to the woman, "MOMMY" she cries out as they hug.

"Yes, honey, I am your mother and we have to get going to Heaven now," she says as Anya looks up and walks over to me.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Clockwork," she says as she gives me a hug, warming my spirit.

"You're welcome Anya, Merry Christmas," I tell her as she waves goodbye before her and her mother vanishing, leaving me alone in my citadel again.

**Danny**

I'm not sure how long I was asleep, but when I woke up it was night.

I walked down to the living room; everyone was asleep with their presents in the hands. I silently walk to the closet and put on my jacket, hat, and gloves and walk outside.

I feel the cold breeze brush against my face sting my tear stained cheeks. I don't care for the pain as it is numbed by the grief in my heart.

I sigh as I sit down on the steps and look up at the sky. My heart aches at knowing that she is gone, but as I look up at the sky and see the stars twinkle above, a strange feeling overcome me. My bitterness suddenly dissolved and a wave of peace overcame me. I felt as if Anya was watching over me saying, 'Don't be sad Danny.'

I looked back at the door and with this feeling of comfort around me got up, gazed up at the stars and whispered, "Thank you, Anya," then I headed back inside to warmth my family and the true meaning of Christmas.

**The End.**


End file.
